Terrebonne Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said the parades wouldn't be canceled just for rain but could be halted if severe thunderstorms or lightning jeopardize riders' and paradegoers' safety.

“We've been monitoring the weather hour by hour,” he said. “We never experienced weather like this for this long; it's crazy.”

Lafourche Sheriff Craig Webre was taking the same approach, said spokesman Brennan Matherne.

“It would not be unprecedented that parades roll in the rain,” Matherne said.

As of Monday night, here is the plan for the rest of Tuesday's parades:

-- The Krewe of Gheens will roll an hour early at 10 a.m. to try to avoid the rain.

-- The Krewe of Choupic will roll at 11:30 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. along La. 304 in Choupic and Chackbay.

-- Neptune plans to roll at noon as scheduled in Golden Meadow and Galliano.

-- Ghana will roll as planned at 1 p.m. in Thibodaux.

-- Bonne Terre plans to roll at its normal 4 p.m. in Montegut.

The Krewe of Cleopatra, the only parade in the two parishes Monday, rolled as planned at 6:30 p.m., following the west Houma route.

Houma-Thibodaux and most of south Louisiana are under a flood watch through this afternoon, as rounds of heavy rain were expected from a front that will remain stationary before moving slowly into the Gulf of Mexico tonight, according to the National Weather Service. An advisory predicts about 1-3 inches of rain, with more in isolated areas.

Gavin Philips, a meteorologist with the Weather Service's Slidell office, said the forecast called for a constant rain throughout the morning, breaking for a short period around midday. Heavier showers will begin in late afternoon or evening. Tuesday's high temperature will be 73 degrees, the low tonight 52.

It will be breezy; easterly winds of 10-15 mph will greet parades Tuesday morning, according to the Weather Service. Winds will shift to southerly by afternoon and could strengthen to 15-20 mph.

Krewe members took different tacks in dealing with the impending weather.

Alicia Dufrene Arabie, a board member for the Krewe of Gheens, said the club decided to roll early in hopes of avoiding the worst of the rain.

But Chucky Cheramie of the Krewe of Neptune said he had no plans to change the parade time.

“I'm not going to be the guy to break tradition for the past 40-something years,” he said Monday afternoon.

<p>Mardi Gras parades are set to roll throughout Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes Tuesday despite an 80 percent chance of rain.</p><p>The biggest, the Krewe of Houmas, is set to roll as planned at 11 a.m. through west Houma, followed by the Krewe of Kajuns.</p><p>“Everything's a go,” Houmas Captain Jackie Clement said Monday afternoon.</p><p>Terrebonne Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said the parades wouldn't be canceled just for rain but could be halted if severe thunderstorms or lightning jeopardize riders' and paradegoers' safety.</p><p>“We've been monitoring the weather hour by hour,” he said. “We never experienced weather like this for this long; it's crazy.”</p><p>Lafourche Sheriff Craig Webre was taking the same approach, said spokesman Brennan Matherne.</p><p>“It would not be unprecedented that parades roll in the rain,” Matherne said.</p><p>As of Monday night, here is the plan for the rest of Tuesday's parades:</p><p>-- The Krewe of Gheens will roll an hour early at 10 a.m. to try to avoid the rain.</p><p>-- The Krewe of Choupic will roll at 11:30 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. along La. 304 in Choupic and Chackbay.</p><p>-- Neptune plans to roll at noon as scheduled in Golden Meadow and Galliano.</p><p>-- Ghana will roll as planned at 1 p.m. in Thibodaux.</p><p>-- Bonne Terre plans to roll at its normal 4 p.m. in Montegut.</p><p>The Krewe of Cleopatra, the only parade in the two parishes Monday, rolled as planned at 6:30 p.m., following the west Houma route.</p><p>Houma-Thibodaux and most of south Louisiana are under a flood watch through this afternoon, as rounds of heavy rain were expected from a front that will remain stationary before moving slowly into the Gulf of Mexico tonight, according to the National Weather Service. An advisory predicts about 1-3 inches of rain, with more in isolated areas.</p><p>Gavin Philips, a meteorologist with the Weather Service's Slidell office, said the forecast called for a constant rain throughout the morning, breaking for a short period around midday. Heavier showers will begin in late afternoon or evening. Tuesday's high temperature will be 73 degrees, the low tonight 52.</p><p>It will be breezy; easterly winds of 10-15 mph will greet parades Tuesday morning, according to the Weather Service. Winds will shift to southerly by afternoon and could strengthen to 15-20 mph.</p><p>Krewe members took different tacks in dealing with the impending weather.</p><p>Alicia Dufrene Arabie, a board member for the Krewe of Gheens, said the club decided to roll early in hopes of avoiding the worst of the rain.</p><p>But Chucky Cheramie of the Krewe of Neptune said he had no plans to change the parade time.</p><p>“I'm not going to be the guy to break tradition for the past 40-something years,” he said Monday afternoon.</p><p>For updates, check houmatoday.com or dailycomet.com.</p>